This Tech Thursday we are bringing you the latest social media apparel. How many times a day do you log into Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram and hope that maybe someone kind of, sort of, liked your post or re-tweeted it? And when they do “like” your post you feel that small sense of relief. Well, while the everyday person hopes that someone out there will validate their social media personality the Like-A-Hug jacket takes it one step further and hugs (that’s right hugs) you when a Facebook friend “likes” your post. How’s that for validation?

Basically the social media jacket, designed by MIT researchers, mimics that warm feeling of being hugged. It is triggered to “hug” whenever you get a Facebook “like” or “poke.” This could be seen in one of two ways; the first is that it brings people together. For example, a couple who live on two different coasts, can each “like” the other’s post on Facebook and that hugging sensation will warm them up. Hugs can even be sent back by simply deflating the jacket. On the other hand, this social media jacket can also be seen as unnecessary and excessive. While it does mimic the sensation of being hugged, whatever happened to actual physical human contact? This takes sharing with the world of social media a step further, some would even say too far.

While the jacket itself might not be the most fashionable accessory, it does give the user the sensation of a full embrace. And one thing’s for sure, it takes the meaning of ‘public displays of affection’ to a new level.